Needle-holding handle



Aug. 9, 1932. M. viTbux NEEDLE HOLDING HANDLE Filed Ju pe 19, 1923 INVENTOR 74l?CEL V/ Touy BY A TTa/e/vE/s Patented Aug. 9, 1932 v UNITED STATES mom. v'rror'rx, or mom, ragucn NEEDLE-HOLDING HA1 IDLE Application fled June 18, 1929, Serial No. 371,997, and in France October 20, 1928.

My invention refers to knitting needles adapted for hand repairing runs or ravelings in knitted fabrics, particularly, stockings. I These needles are generally fitted upon wood, horn or metal handles, which serve to hold them and manipulate them across thepiece of knitted fabric, according to an alternative movement imparted by the hand of the operator.

To obtain a perfect and rapid repairing work, it is necessary that the to and fro movement of the needle should be rapid and imparts to the needle irregular movementsor length of stroke which give rise to a diminution in the work "output and also a de fective repairing work.

The ob ect of the invention is to overcome the defects indicated above and to permit not only of obtaining, whatever the length andapprenticeship or practice of the operator may be, a rapid and" regular control of the repairing needle, and at the same time avoiding fatigue to the hand irrespective what may be the operators training, but also ensuring a movement much more rapid than that obtainable by hand, even in the case of an operator of the greatest skill.

With this end in view, the object of the invention is a holding handle for a knitting needle for repairing runs or ravelings characterized in principle by the fact that the part of the handle to which the needle is fitted is movable in relation to the handle itself and isfitted thereto by any desired means, in such a manner that it can have imparted to it an alternative movement, the operation of which being rapid and following a regular course, can be efiected by any means,

i. e. mechanical, pneumatic, electro-magnetic,

etc.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood and by way of example, an embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and represented diagrammatically in the drawing annexed to the present specification, in which:

dle or needle for repairing in which the movable block or. fixing member of the needle is given an alternative movement by pneumatic' control.

Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 a front ele- 6 vation in diametrical section. Figure 4 is an elevation ih detail of a movable fixing block inthe case of several needles being fitted together.

Figure 5 is a side view of the same, showing the method of fixing the needles.

With reference to the needle-holding handle, this is composed, of a cylinder 1, which may be of metal closed at its upper extremity by a screw plug 2, the opposite extremity of which is open, and of a smaller inside diameter, so as to form a circular projection 1'.

In the cylinder 1 slides a piston 3 whose head is fitted with a stamped piece of leather 4 and the lower part of which is extended at its centre in the form of a hollow rod 5, the outside diameter of which enables it to slide freely in the extremity of reduced diameter of the cylinder 1, the length of the said rod 5 being such that it is flush with the open extremity of the cylinder'when the piston 3 is at the bottom of its upward stroke, which normal position is ensured by a helical tension spring 6 fitted over the rod 5, and resting with its two extremities against the bottom of the piston 3 and the interior clrcular projectionvl' of the cylinder.

The stroke of the piston is limited on the inside of the cylinder by means of two longltudinal diametrically opposed grooves 7, which are made in the wall of the rod 5, and the extremities of which are arranged alternately, at the end of each to and bottom stroke, against a spindle 8 whic crosses them and passes diametrically through the cyl mder 1 .a little below the level of the pro ectlon 1' this spindle 8 which has free play compr1s ing at each of its extremities studs havlng a concave surface 9, which serve to hold the handle constituted by the cylinder 1, the

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a holding han- 55 thumb and index finger of the operators hand being placed on each of these studs in such a way that the handle 1 can oscillate freely round the spindle 8. This enables the needle 10 to rest on the ladder formed by the succession of threads to be raveled, the work proceeding easily by virtue of the fact that the upper portion of the handle 1 is fairly heavy and consequently has a tendency to cause the needle to swing forwardsowing to the oblique position which it is given during the operation. This equilibrium facilitates the knocking-over of the loop and the successive advance of the needle from one thread to another. 7

The fixingof the needle 10 is effected by screwing its extremity or fitting by force or in any other way into a cylindrical bush or member 11, which is screwed or forcibly fitted or in any other manner inside the open extremity of the rod 5 of the piston 3.

Above the level of the piston 3 at its raised dead point there is an aperture 12, disposed in the wall of the cylinder 1, which communicates with a container 13 connected to the said cylinder 1, the lower part of which comprises a tube or connection 14, on which is fitted the extremity of a rubber tube 15, which may be attached to any suitable means (not shown) for producing impulses of air at the desired cadence on the piston 3, thereby causing an alternating and successive movement of the needle 10. With this construction it is easy to conceive that the successive impulses of air on the piston 3 cause the piston to descend in its cylinder 1 together with the internal rod 5 and the needle 10 which is fixed at its extremity, the upward motion or up stroke of this movable unit inside the cylinder 1 which constitutes the actual handle being caused by the action of the tension spring 6.

In the case when, for a delicate repairing work, it is',desired to operate the needle 10 by hand, all that is necessary is to stop the controlling motor. In this case it should be pointed out the utilization of the handle ofiers an advantage as compared with handles of the known t e, in that the fitting of the needle rigidly with the piston controlled by its spring constitutes a shock-absorbingdevice which can prevent any involuntary efiort through too violent a movement of the otperators hand being transmitted to the t read, thus diminishing the risks of breaking the thread while the repairing work is proceeding.

' With reference to the use of the handle 1 member 11 is composed of two parts, the one" partll of which comprises parallel grooves for lodging the ends of the needles 10, these grooves" terminating in holes disposed at right angles, in which the end 10' of the Said needles, which are bent at right angles, can penetrate. In this way theneedlesfitted side by side cannot turn on their spindle. They are fixed and secured in position by a member 11' forming a lid and attached to the menbfr 11 by a fixing screw 16 (Figures 4 an 5 l i It is of course understood that the alternating movement of the member 11 in the actual handle 1 can be obtained by any other means than that described by way of example and that improvements, modifications and alterations can be made in the details and that use can be made of equivalent means.

of the latter to limit the reciprocation of said piston.

2. A holding handle for knitting needles used in repairing runs in knitted fabrics, comprising a cylinder, a needle-holding piston mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder and having grooves therein, a spindle extending transversely through said cylinder and grooves and engageable by the ends of the latter to limit the reciprocation of said piston, and studs on the ends of said spindle forming thumb and finger grips.

3. A holding handle for knitting needles used in repairing runs in knitted fabrics, comprising a cylinder, a'needle-holding piston mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder and having grooves therein, a spindle extending trasversely through said cylinder and grooves and engageable by the ends of the latter to limit the reciprocation of said piston, means to supply impulses of air to said piston to move the same in one direction, and tension means interposed between said cylinder and piston to move the latter in the opposite direction. I

' 4. A holding handle for knitting needles used in repairing runs in knitted fabrics, comprising a cylinder, a needle-holding is- 115 ton mounted for reciprocation in said cy 'n-' der and having grooves therein, and a spindle extending transversely through said cylinder and grooves and engageable by the ends of the latter tolimit the reciprocation of said piston, said cylinder being free to oscillate about said spindle.

, 5. In a run-repairing needle, a handleportion, and a pair of pivotally mounted fingercontact members on said handle portion.

6.. A run-repairing needle including a'handle having rotatable finger-contact members. I .A run-repairing needle comprising a hook-and-lateh portion, an operatively connected handle portion, and a pair of fingercontact members pivotally mounted on said handle.

8. A run-repairing needle comprising a hook-and-latch portion, and an operatively connected handle having a finger-contact member pivotally mounted thereon.

9. In a machine for relooping the runs in knitted fabrics, the combination of a cylinder, a tool carrier constituting a piston mounted for reciprocatory movement in the cylinder, a relooping tool secured to the carrier, and pneumatically actuated means operatively connected to said cylinder to reciprocate the relooping tool and said tool being free to move and to be held stationary in the carrier independent of the action of said means. I

. 10. A handle for a relooping needle comrising a sleeve, a needle carrier positioned in said sleeve for reciprocating movement and projecting from one end of the sleeve,

means carried by said projecting end to mount a relooping needle, and said sleeve provided in spaced relation to said end with a pair of discs having oppositely disposed concaved faces adapted to receive the thumb and finger of the operator and thus provide a pivotal mounting of the handle in the operators hand leaving the needle end of the bandle substantially free to move about said pivotal mounting.

11. In the method of repairing runs, the

step of translating the motion in one direction ofthe fingers by which the run-repairing needle is held, into the desired reciprocating motion of such needle in another direction.

A In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAROEL VITOUX. 

